We raised over $200 for the Conservancy selling raffle tickets for chances to win a NiteRider Lumina 550 rechargeable bike headlight. The Conservancy also raffled off some of their clothing items. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone for attending!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Our latest bicycle touring visitors at the Century Cycles store in Peninsula were this couple from The Netherlands. Their names are Kees-Jan and Angela.

They flew into Boston and purchased their bicycles, then rented a car and drove to Buffalo. They started their ride there, and were on their fifth day of riding when they stopped into Peninsula for some new bike shorts, a taillight, and that snazzy vest that Angela is modeling.

As usual, the 14-mile bicycle ride is FREE and open to the public, and all ages and skill levels are welcome. Attendees must have their own bicycle, helmet, and headlight, and must sign a waiver before the ride starts. Children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

The ride begins at 8:00pm from the parking lot of the store, located at 1621 Main Street (State Route 303) in Peninsula. Guests are encouraged to arrive earlier to have plenty of time to find parking, get themselves and their bicycles ready, and sign in.

Staff from the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park will be at the event to accept donations, sign up new memberships, and answer questions about the organization and its mission.

Any person who attends the event and makes a donation to the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park's TRAILS FOREVER Fund (minimum of $1) will be eligible to win a NiteRider Lumina 550 rechargeable bicycle headlight (valued at $110). The drawing for the headlight will be held at 7:50pm; winner must be present.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has over 100 miles of trails for hiking, running, bicycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Funding from the National Park Service alone isn't enough to maintain these trails. The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park's TRAILS FOREVER Fund helps preserve our precious legacy of trails for future generations.

For more information about the Night Ride on the Towpath Trail, call Century Cycles in Peninsula at 330-657-2209. Online, please visit www.centurycycles.com/for/NightRides, an informational page that includes videos and photos from past Night Rides and tips for first-time Night Riders.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

There are those who say that "Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean that you SHOULD." To them I say, "But sometimes it DOES mean you should."

Case in point, "plus-sized" tires on your mountain bike.

First, a bit of background. What are "plus-sized" tires? The term "Plus" when it comes to bike tires is generally used to refer to tires that range in width from 2.8 inches to 3.25 inches. Sometimes called "mid-fat," they are wider than your typical mountain bike tires, but not as wide as your true "fat" bike or "snow bike" tires.

The idea with plus tires is that you get some of the benefits of uber-traction like with fat bikes, but less of the disadvantages, like all that extra weight, plus the "self-steering" feeling you can get with some fat bike tires.

Surly Bikes, being the under-appreciated vanguard of things new and cool in the bike world, first came up with the idea of plus-sized tires. Their Krampus came out in late 2012, featuring the first plus tire, the Surly Knard 29x3.0. I had the opportunity to first test-ride the Krampus at Interbike 2012, and was sold on the idea from the start.

We ordered a few of the Krampus for stock in our stores, and they hung around for quite a while before we finally sold out. I think that Northeast Ohio wasn't yet ready for the "plus" concept yet. Or, maybe people were intrigued, but figured, "If this is version 1.0 of this idea, maybe I should wait and see what version 2.0 looks like?" What do you think?

Surly followed up on the Krampus in 2013 with the ECR, what they referred to as "the love child of a Krampus and a Long Haul Trucker." Designed for off-road touring, the ECR combined the 29+ wheels of the Kramps with upright touring geometry.

I bought my '14 Salsa Mukluk 2 fat bike at the beginning of 2014, and enjoyed it through that snowy season. Come springtime, I was looking for a way to liven it up for the summer, so I bought a pair of the Surly Knard 29x3.0 tires and Surly Rabbit Hole 29er rims (the same ones that come on the Krampus and ECR), plus a pair of Salsa hubs, and had our ace Service Manager Rich lace them up with DT Swiss double-butted spokes.

2015 rolled around, and I, being one who likes to tinker, experiment, and be on the bleeding edge, was looking for a way to build a new biking experience without building a new bike. I had a 2013 Raleigh Talus 29er that I had acquired from my friend Sean at Main Street Cupcakes. I had been doing some reading that many 29er mountain bikes could fit 27.5+ wheels. The outer diameter of a 27.5+ wheel is almost the same as a regular 29er wheel, and most 29er frames have enough clearance to fit the width of a 27.5x2.8 tire.

The Raleigh, with a suspension fork and the 27.5+ wheels, was everything you want in a hardtail mountain bike and more. The fork took the edge off the bumps and roots, while the plus tires grabbed the dirt, allowing me to rail corners and maintain speed.

Most forks, both rigid and suspension, have plenty of tire clearance to spare, and that was the case with this one and the 27.5+ tires. In the back on the Raleigh Talus 29er frame, it was a little tight between the chainstays and seatstays. Manufacturers recommend at least 6mm of clearance on either side of the tire for safety, since frames flex when ridden. I had less than that, and I did get a little tire rub when pushing the bike hard.

Looking for other ways to push the envelope, I tried these same wheels on my Salsa Fargo:

Salsa Fargo with 27.5+ wheels at Bedford Singletrack

The plus wheels on the Fargo make this bike a little more playful compared to its standard 29er wheels. It's perfect for smooth, flowy singletrack like you'd find at the Bedford Reservation, and perfect for the warm and dry conditions we had late into the season last fall. I took it to the East Rim Trail on opening day last October, just because it was the bike I happened to have with me that day. The tires worked well on that trail, although the weight-forward position of the drop-bar Fargo was a bit tough to handle on that trail. This setup would be perfect for an extended back-road/off-road multi-day tour.

Tire clearance in the Fargo frame was better compared to the Raleigh. While still less than the recommended 6mm, I've never had any problems with tire rub.

For the 2016 model year, Salsa Cycles, following in the footsteps of their sister brand Surly, released the first full-suspension 27.5+ bike, the Pony Rustler, which I had the opportunity to test-ride at SaddleDrive 2015.

2016 Salsa Pony Rustler Carbon X01

In the meantime, last year I had to downsize my bike collection due to moving, so the Raleigh Talus 29er had to go (I kept the 27.5+ wheels and sold it with a pair of regular 29er wheels).

My latest bike acquisition in January was a Surly Ogre. This was one of those bikes that I didn't really have a need for, but I've always loved the "Tannish Gray" color, and at that time, I noticed that Surly was down to one left in stock in my size, so I grabbed it and built it up with some parts I had around, and put my 27.5+ wheels on it.

Surly Ogre with 27.5+ wheels

The Ogre is designed to handle up to 29x2.5-inch tires. Clearance with the 27.5x2.8 tires was better than on the Fargo, and I have not had any tire rub issues. Both the Ogre and the Mukluk with have been my go-to mountain bikes this season; I've probably ridden them both about 50/50 when I hit the trails. Think of this Ogre like a "poor man's ECR" -- 27.5+ instead of 29+ wheels, although the Ogre shares frame geometry with the Karate Monkey, so it's a little more singletrack-friendly compared to the ECR. At over 33 pounds, it's a bit of a pig going uphill, but my SRAM 2x10 drivetrain with 11-36 cassette gives me plenty of gearing to crank it up, however slowly that may be. This bike would be perfect for a multi-day off-road tour.

Here we are in 2016, and you will see in the coming season that just about every major bike company has some version of plus bike, either 27.5+ or 29+, or both. (Surly, in their infinite surliness, have updated their Troll frame to accommodate 26x3.0 tires, to prove that 26-inch is not yet dead.)

Having ridden various incarnations of plus-tired mountain bike during the past two years, I've decided that this is the perfect platform for my style of riding and for the typical Ohio mountain bike trails. What I really need is another bike with front suspension that handles 27.5+ tires out of the box. I've been mulling over two options:

It will only be sold at the Whole Foods Market stores in Woodmere, University Heights, and Rocky River. For every six-pack of Veloracer sold, Whole Foods Market will donate $1 to the Cleveland Velodrome.

They hope to raise enough money to build an enclosure around the Velodrome for year-round cycling.

Click here for coverage from Kickin' It With Kenny on Fox 8 Cleveland.

Friday, August 12, 2016

In 2010 Liv (the women's-specific division of Giant Bicycles) partnered with Young Survival Coalition (YSC), the premier organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. YSC offers resources, connections and outreach so women feel supported, empowered and hopeful. In 2004 YSC developed Tour de Pink (TdP), an inspiring three-day charity bike ride, with a one-day option, which raises funds for young women affected by breast cancer.

In 2016 TdP will host its yearly East and West Coast rides, and an inaugural South ride. Since its inception, the ride has brought together almost 1,800 riders, and raised more than 7 million dollars for YSC. Over its six year partnership with YSC, Liv has donated 120 bikes to survivors who’ve participated in the Tour de Pink.

This year Liv’s goal is to donate 30 Liv Avail bicycles to 30 breast cancer survivors. We would love your help to bring awareness to the journey of these incredible women and to the mission of YSC and TdP. You can make it possible for these 30 riders to pedal Tour de Pink’s 200+ miles and you can help them experience the power of an amazing community of women! Here’s how you can take part:

Using the social media of your choice, simply share pictures and words of inspirations during special moments on your bike and hashtag those moments #LivTdp. For every 200 hashtags, Liv will donate one Liv Avail till we reach our goal of 30 bikes for 30 riders!

Liv’s support of YSC and Tour de Pink goes to the core of the brand’s belief: through cycling, you discover a world of new possibilities. Training for Tour de Pink has helped cancer survivors recover and become stronger. Visit livtourdepink.com to discover inspiring stories of past TdP riders. You’ll also learn how you can get involved – and you’ll find health and training tips to make your next ride -- and even your upcoming TdP ride -- your best ever!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Bike Medina County is a new group of citizens and representatives from local cities, villages, parks and bike shops in Medina County dedicated to increasing the use of bicycles for transportation and recreational cycling and to increasing bicyclist safety.

Their inaugural bicycling event is the Lake to Lake Harvest Tour - join us! There will be three ride options: 32 and 47-mile routes, and a casual family ride.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

From now through September 30, 2016, Salsa Cycles is pairing the Bucksaw and Vaya to bring you two outstanding tools for exploration in one package deal. Two bikes for the price of one!

Head to your closest Century Cycles store to take advantage of this limited-time offer. For the price of one bike, leave with two, and equip yourself with an all-terrain, all-access pass to adventure!

Plan some fast, light tours, and head out on some gravel for ramblin’ or racing. Hit any singletrack, do some bikepacking, or embark on deep woods expeditions. In any season, on any surface, there’s a lot of bike riding to do, and Salsa is here to help you get after it.

With our Two Bikes For Any Adventure Special, your biggest problem will be deciding which bike you’ll ride first.

As usual, the 14-mile bicycle ride is FREE and open to the public, and all ages and skill levels are welcome. Attendees must have their own bicycle, helmet, and headlight, and must sign a waiver before the ride starts. Children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

The ride begins at 8:00pm from the parking lot of the store, located at 1621 Main Street (State Route 303) in Peninsula. Guests are encouraged to arrive earlier to have plenty of time to find parking, get themselves and their bicycles ready, and sign in.

Staff from the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park will be at the event to accept donations, sign up new memberships, and answer questions about the organization and its mission.

Any person who attends the event and makes a donation to the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park's TRAILS FOREVER Fund (minimun of $1) will be eligible to win a NiteRider Lumina 550 rechargeable bicycle headlight (valued at $110). The drawing for the headlight will be held at 7:50pm; winner must be present.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has over 100 miles of trails for hiking, running, bicycling, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Funding from the National Park Service alone isn't enough to maintain these trails. The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park's TRAILS FOREVER Fund helps preserve our precious legacy of trails for future generations.

For more information about the Night Ride on the Towpath Trail, call Century Cycles in Peninsula at 330-657-2209. Online, please visit www.centurycycles.com/for/NightRides, an informational page that includes videos and photos from past Night Rides and tips for first-time Night Riders.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

No, that's not another April Fool's Day joke. With summer construction season in full swing, we seem to be surrounded by orange barrels and cones on all sides at the Century Cycles in Peninsula, so allow extra time when traveling to our store.

Work began today on the re-surfacing of State Route 303 between Interstate 271 and State Route 8. Expect lane restrictions and delays through the end of September.

Work continues on the State Route 303 bridge near Route 8 east of Peninsula. Traffic is maintained with an alternating one-way lane. The wait is not too bad during off-peak hours, but expect long waits during rush hour. Alternative routes to our store from State Route 8 are:

If you are coming from the north (e.g. Macedonia/Northfield):

Take the exit for State Route 303/Hudson/Peninsula as usual.

Get in the middle lane at the end of the exit ramp.

At the traffic light, proceed STRAIGHT across State Route 303 onto Akron-Cleveland Road.